Shifting Paradigms: BC Echoing the World Around Us by The Gavel

the GAVEL Spring 2021 / Vol. XII Issue 1

SHIFTING PARADIGMS BC Echoing the World Around Us

TABLE OF CONTENTS 06 10 12 15 2

Turning Points: Setting Precedents

18 20 24 26

by Svea McNally & Sophie Muggia

One In, One Out

by Patrick & Sally Carpenter

Divest Today, Invest in Tomorrow by Patrick Conlan

BC and U.S. Tackle COVID-19 Pandemic by Dylan Burgess

Family Ties

by Bridget & Jack Clark

BC to Pros, Women’s Hockey is Ever to Excel by Emma Twombly

Authentic Eagles: Journey to America by Izzy Wibowo

Creative Spotlight by the Gavel Media

Photo by Frankie Mancini

The Spring 2021 Gavel Editorial Board EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Carmen Chu MANAGING EDITOR Keaden Morisaki GENERAL MANAGER Greta Gareth HEAD COPY EDITOR Josie MoralesThomason CREATIVE MANAGERS Frankie Mancini, Katherine McCabe PRINT EDITOR Ngan Tran FEATURES EDITOR Liam Dietrich SPORTS EDITOR Jake McNeill CULTURE EDITOR Michaela Brant NEWS EDITOR Sophie Lodes OPINIONS EDITOR Kelli Rodrigues AUTHENTIC EAGLES EDITORS Raymond Cai, Lauren Blaser ASSOC. PRINT EDITORS Maia Rosenbaum, Caitlyn Yee ASSOC. FEATURES EDITORS Svea McNally, Molly Wilde ASSOC. SPORTS EDITORS Corbin Bernal, Emma Twombly ASSOC. CULTURE EDITORS

Patrick Conlan, Joe Ezersky, Cosette Patterson, Megan Traudt ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR Dylan Burgess ASSOC. OPINIONS EDITORS

Aidan O’Neill, Julia Swiatek, Sarah Tham COPY EDITORS Ben Rufo, Maria Lozada, Sydnie Jiang, Caitlyn

Neville, Hannah Ruane, Julia Steponaitis, Morgan Jemtrud, Vidisha Pandey, Minji Jeun CREATIVE STAFF Jamie Kim, Maddy Mitchell, Arthur Christory, Lexi Santoro, Julianna Pijar, Hajin Cho, Chloe Chen PRINT STAFF Anton Aguila, Anna Metri BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COORDINATORS

Michelle Catano, Olivia Pullin, Anna Pyo EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Catherine Gagulashvili, Maggie Vaughn,

Sally Carpenter, Jack Clark, Flora Peng, Julia Blessing, Molly Caballero

Since we returned to Boston College this past fall, we’ve experienced a campus completely alien to us. Signs reading “six feet apart” are plastered around every study space. Students line up outside the doors of the gym in wait for their reservations. Main Campus is eerily empty with students remaining in their bedrooms for their online and hybrid classes. In many ways, this place is no longer the BC we once knew. But we’re not alone in this: the world is changing around us as we speak, shifting its paradigms, not just in response to the pandemic but to emerging social issues as well. A Jesuit university like Boston College constantly encourages us to be global citizens, but what does that mean at an institution where we don’t see justice extended to all? It means that we must use this time and space for sincere reflection, to realign our beliefs, open up our perspectives, and ultimately take concrete actions to stand up for our communities, no matter how big or small. For The Gavel, this presented a need to reexamine BC’s place in a globalized and dynamic world. From candid narratives about privilege to a detailed account of student calls for divestment, this print edition embodies the changes we’ve seen on our campus over the past year and throughout BC’s history, and examines them from a macro perspective. Shifting the paradigm and recognizing the parallels in our history is only the first step. Implementation and awareness are next, but there will always be more to work on. I hope that this edition of The Gavel is a symbol and beacon for those BC students concerned with changing the world for the better. I hope this edition of The Gavel helps you see the parallels of injustice through our world, and the effects of national on the local. Bang, Ngan Tran

shifting paradigms:

BC echoing the world around us Photo by Ngan Tran

letter from the editor

“unprecedented.”

Photo by Frankie Mancini

never gave much thought to the word before the past year. But now? Now it’s a part of the pandemic lexicon. Newscasters and family members alike can’t seem to find a more accurate way to describe the defining changes of 2020. They’re right: We’re witnessing the new and unique challenges of a globalized world. But I’ve found myself increasingly numb to the “unprecedented” as the word becomes hollow and devoid of the meaning it once held. This is 2021. A new year requires a new vocabulary to describe our lived experiences—a paradigm shift, if you will. Our beliefs, our practices, and even our words have become incompatible with our present, and it’s time to replace them with more suitable ones. The pandemic revealed a need to unearth our culture of comfortable complacency—one that upholds white supremacy, devalues human life, and never challenges the status quo—and transform it with the seeds of change, from which will blossom equity, justice, sustainability, and empathy.

The Gavel was founded on a progressive philosophy, not just as a political movement but as a way of making sense of the world around us. We strive to uplift the marginalized and highlight student-led changes because we refuse to accept the injustices of the present. In our efforts to embody this constant forward motion, our paradigm has shifted. We aren’t just champions of social change or arbiters of sensitive modern discourse. We are the change itself. If there is ever a time for progressivism it is now. At Boston College, this means reflecting the changes we see in the world around us, but it also requires that we anticipate those changes, stepping outside of what we know and recognize, to create new paradigms. I invite you to reflect with us on the precedents BC students have set, both at present and in the past, in hopes that they will inspire you to create changes for the generations that follow us.

Carmen Chu editor-in-chief of the gavel 5

Photo by Ellen Gerst

turning points

setting precedents

FEATURES / SPRING 2021 / SVEA MCNALLY & SOPHIE MUGGIA 6

s we reflect on where our school and nation stood just over a year ago, it is difficult to believe that so many events carrying such magnitude could fit into a single year. Occupying a space in the spotlight for much of this tumultuous year have been the leaders in our student and national governments. Like the national government, the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) has been a hub of action and, at times, contention this year. Specifically, UGBC has garnered a lot of attention with an impeachment trial against its president, its response to a malicious hate crime on a freshman Multicultural Learning Experience (MLE) floor, a competitive presidential election, and its encounters with an administration that continues to drag its feet on student demands such as climate action and responses to racial injustice. Similar events have occurred at the national level: displays of blatant racism, Trump getting impeached twice, and a high-stakes presidential election during a global pandemic. Yet, with each hardship that UGBC and the national government have faced, there has come a turning of the tides. It is clear that, while turbulent and pernicious, the 2020-2021 school year has set major precedents for the path forward.

Climate Both on and off campus, Americans are becoming increasingly aware about the dangers of climate change. Environmental justice and sustainability has become a booming market trend and an important political platform for many. With the 2020 election of President Joe Biden, the United States now has a plan to combat climate change and promote sustainability. Biden plans to be sure that the US achieves a 100% clean energy economy and net-zero emissions by 2050.1 This bold and ambitious declaration of environmental justice requires Biden to sign a series of executive orders and push Congress to enact a series of legislation that works to protect the environment. Following their election as president and executive vice president of UGBC, Jack Bracher, MCAS ‘22, and Gianna Russi, MCAS ‘22, have already begun a push for climate justice and sustainability within UGBC that is strikingly similar to that of the federal level. Prioritized in this push is their plan to create a UGBC division focused on sustainability, climate change, and environmental justice, which sets an important precedent on campus. In Bracher’s words, the division was created to “enhance the role of environmental activism on campus,” with Russi adding that it will allow UGBC to “amplify student voices and alleviate some of the roadblocks these student organizations and clubs confront on campus.” Their ideas for the environmental and sustainability division include

Photo by Katherine McCabe

“expanding our current environmental programming, creating policy-making initiatives, pursuing actionable measures towards reducing waste on campus, and collaborating with on-campus groups such as EcoPledge, CJBC, and SAC.’’ This way, the division can accomplish short-term goals while spearheading the long-term push towards bigger goals like divestment and carbon neutrality. This year has also been a turning point for Boston College students’ dedication to sustainability and environmental justice. Real Food, a student-led organization, recently enacted an initiative that provides composting bins outside of each dorm on campus. Carmen Hamm, MCAS ‘21, is the compost manager for Real Food and says that this initiative’s ultimate goal is to “have ResLife provide a compost bin for every apartment style dorm room, just as they would provide lamps or desks.” In terms of shared campus goals, Hamm says, “The Office of Sustainability, in collaboration with Real Food, Ecopledge, and BC Dining have been able to generate a strong momentum towards campus wide sustainability. Even in the past three years, BC Dining has seen dramatic changes.” As a senior, Hamm has seen the sustainability model blow up on campus. This fight is ongoing as Boston College’s administration continues to invest in the fossil fuel industry. Students all across campus have been pushing for divestment for years, although the echo of those cries seems louder than ever this year. This movement is seen in the federal government as well, with President Biden taking an ambiguous stance on fracking, much to the disappointment of climate activists around the country. It is important that BC students continue to demand divestment, just as the general public continues to apply pressure to President Biden regarding fracking.

for Climate Change and Environmental Justice: Joe Biden.” Joe Biden for President: Official Campaign Website, 29 Oct. 2020, joebiden. com/climate-plan/.

1 “Plan

“The divisions of DI are meant to represent populations of marginalized students at BC, and removing our presence from the executive council plays into the marginalization that we are meant to fight against.” Impeachment This year was not only a turning point for BC and the federal government in terms of climate action but also in terms of setting a precedent for impeachments. In January of 2021, Donald Trump made history in becoming the first President in U.S. history to be impeached twice. The second impeachment came in the wake of the insurrection on the Capitol, which many believe was encouraged and incited by Trump himself. This has set a huge precedent in the United States for future Presidents. In a similar vein, following the racist hate crime on the MLE floor, UGBC President Christian Guma faced articles of impeachment presented by two Student Assembly (SA) representatives. Guma was accused of violating the UGBC constitution after posting an unapproved, insensitive response to the MLE incident on the UGBC Instagram account. This is incredibly important when it comes to setting precedents; the SA members believed this would send a message to future administrations who try to skirt around the rules of UGBC.

Photo by Gavel Media

Responses to Racial Injustice Racial injustice at Boston College does not happen in a vacuum. Ask any student at BC and they will be able to recall at least one of many targeted hate crimes that have left students of color feeling unwelcome and unsafe on campus. It is no secret that the administrators preaching “for here, all are one” are the same administrators who have stayed silent, and who continue to stay silent, on matters of racial injustice. This racist history is not restricted to BC alone. Racism is written into American history, and recent events have made it clear that our country is still writing itself into those history books. Under the leadership of Christian Guma CSOM ‘21 and Kevork Atinizian, CSOM ‘22 in the 2020-2021 school year, UGBC has developed student assembly working groups as a response to the murder of George Floyd. These groups focus on student policies and conduct, equity in administrative and police training, the core curriculum, and initiatives about race and injustice. Atinizian believes “these working groups have established the foundation for UGBC to evaluate Boston College’s approach to diversity,” and given that hate crimes have continued to occur even after these actions have been taken, it is necessary that we have more tools and strategies than these foundations alone to dismantle racism at this school.

Photo by Gavel Media

Diversity and Inclusion in UGBC With a majority of the BC student body occupying white, heteronormative, and able-bodied backgrounds, the Diversity and Inclusion (DI) division of UGBC plays a critical role in ensuring that all students are represented. The DI division is made up of three sub-councils: the AHANA+ Leadership Council (ALC) , the GLBTQ+ Leadership Council (GLC), and the Council for Students with Disabilities (CSD). Under the 2019-2020 UGBC administration of Michael Osaghae, MCAS ‘20, and Tiffany Brooks, MCAS ‘21, the directors of ALC, GLC, CSD, and DI all held positions on the executive council. Guma and Atinizian, however, opted to keep the DI director on the executive council but erase the ALC, GLC, and CSD directors from it. For many members of DI, it felt as if their voices and those of the students that they represent were being discredited. To this, Nick Claudio, MCAS ‘22 and the current director of CSD, states, “The divisions of DI are meant to represent populations of marginalized students at BC, and removing our presence from the executive council plays into the marginalization that we are meant to fight against.”

Trump’s first cabinet was made up of just 21% women and 17% people of color. Acknowledging the importance of representation in some of America’s highest positions, President Biden constructed a cabinet, 48% of which is occupied by women and 52% of which is occupied by people of color. The diversity in this cabinet sends a strong message to Americans that they are valued so much that they occupy a seat at the highest table. In response to student apprehension, Bracher and Russi have opted to elevate the ALC, GLC, and CSD directors to serve alongside the DI director as part of the executive council. Conor McCormick, MCAS ‘22 and the current DI director, is optimistic about what this new structure might bring in terms of diverse voices and perspectives. While he believes that there is still work to be done, McCormick is hopeful that, with a new administration, the DI director is used to “nurture, aid, celebrate, and unify” ALC, GLC, and CSD. It is a hope and expectation among many that, moving forward, the unique and diverse voices of all 9,370 undergraduate students at BC will be adequately acknowledged and represented by UGBC.

Photo by Frankie Mancini

eing a college freshman in a pandemic is not something I could have ever prepared myself for. For the first month or so, I wondered if it was even worth it to be on campus when there was no good way to meet people and have a social life. It felt like I was just bouncing around from stranger to stranger, making small talk and hoping for one of the connections to stick. Eventually, one of them did stick. Life became much easier, but it obviously didn’t fix everything. The number of times we have collectively fantasized about all the things we’ll do “when COVID is over” is countless, and it feels more and more futile every time we say it. People always say that going to college is like being set free. If there was ever a time in my life when I should let loose and be irresponsible, this was supposed to be it. But the thing is, the pandemic has completely changed the stakes of irresponsibility. Before, the consequences would land on me. My choices were mine to make, alone. But now, my actions are

connected to everyone else’s. A bad choice on my part could put other people at risk in a way that just didn’t exist before the pandemic. It is exhausting to go through the normal stressors of freshman life with the added COVID concern constantly ringing at the back of my mind. My brother is a senior this year. I can only imagine the unique difficulties that go along with having your last year on campus tainted by the pandemic. At least I get the luxury of seeing a bright future ahead in my college life. All the seniors get are fond memories of the time before and a fast-approaching graduation date. But as I’ve watched my brother and his friends make the most of what they are able to do, I’m consistently impressed by the way so many seniors have made their way through this year. It’s sad to think they may not be on campus to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The rest of us need to appreciate every second we get to spend on this beautiful campus.

y ll a S

One In, One Out

OPINIONS / SPRING 2021 / SALLY CARPENTER & PATRICK CARPENTER

very year, I’ve felt different about my relationship with this campus. Freshman year, I looked up at the gothic buildings with wonder, counting myself lucky to spend the next four years walking among them. Sophomore year, this place started to become a true home. Junior year, I walked around campus with a sense of ownership and a keen awareness of the need to make the most of my last three semesters of college. I spent nearly every moment in the presence of others, welcoming every chance encounter with a friend or acquaintance. Nowadays, campus feels much quieter. Chatter between friends and shouts from across the quad are conspicuously absent. All I hear when walking through campus is the music in my AirPods. And those chance encounters seem like they never happen anymore. So much of what defined the early days of my college experience has become impossible this year. Bouncing between new friends’ Upper Campus rooms, trekking out to BC sports games, and getting excited to go out

“When my sister decided to come to BC last year, I was so excited for her to experience those essential college moments.” on a Saturday night because someone you know from your Intro Econ class has a brother whose roommate is having a birthday party that he might be able to get you into—all classic freshman year experiences I was lucky enough to enjoy. When my sister decided to come to BC last year, I was so excited for her to experience those essential college moments. While some of these experiences have still been possible for her, some have been put on pause. Although this year has challenged the freshman class in so many ways, I am comforted because I know they’ll be made stronger for it. They’ve already lived through the hardest year of college imaginable; what’s stopping them from making the most of every moment for the next three years? Living through this year of college has been hard on all of us. We’ve had to adapt our lifestyles in ways that seemed unimaginable before. My senior year, and my sister’s freshman year, will go down in the history books as being uniquely isolating and abnormal. But, in many ways, it’s also made us appreciate the little things. I know that even though her freshman year has been difficult, my sister will still be able to walk among the buildings of Boston College with the same sense of pride, gratitude, and belonging that I do.

k c i r t a P

Photo by Lexi Santoro

Divest Today, Invest in Tomorrow BC’s Inability to Progress

CULTURE / SPRING 2021 / Patrick Conlan 12

n the face of unfathomable political power and economic influence, a young girl managed to sway the world into action. Greta Thunberg sat in front of the Swedish Parliament building in 2018 with a sign that read, “Skolstrejk för Klimatet,” or “School strike for Climate.” Thunberg’s story remains one of the few successes in a sea of failures. While she succeeded in making the world listen, millions of other activists’ calls fell on deaf ears. Those at Boston College know these failures well. Student movements aimed at climate justice face harsh pushback from the administration. Of all the causes students fight for on campus, divestment remains one of the most recurring and pressing while also one of the most ignored.

What is divestment? Divestment is the reallocation of investments in fossil fuel companies towards the green energy sector and sustainable climate solutions. The tortuous history of the fossil fuel divestment movement began at the behest of university students. Sustainable business models like green investments and ethical production exist in large part due to a changing mindset in America’s younger generations. To young students today, divestment represents the writing on the wall: Fossil fuels and their affiliate companies stand as monoliths of a bygone era of human history.

“It was kind of freeing to hear [BC] say what they have always wanted to say, which is, we’re not gonna do this. We are not gonna divest.” Divesting from petrochemical companies means more than simply taking away their funding. Divestment means breaking away from ignorance and compliance. Companies like Chevron and Exxon Mobil wreak havoc on the natural world through drilling and extraction. Funds like the Charles Koch Foundation pour money into think tanks, education programs, scholarships, and the like, all to encourage climate denialism and maintain profits. While divestment aims to avoid these areas of biased academia, it also tackles fossil fuel lobbying. Large petrochemical companies hold staggering power over politics in the United States. Bribes flow into the American political sphere and sway the votes in fossil fuels’ favor. Divestment means more than reallocation. In real terms, divestment aims to promote and rebuild our democratic institutions.

Photo by Katherine McCabe

Where does BC stand? St. Ignatius of Loyola famously said, “Go, set the world on fire.” Fast forward a few centuries and renowned scientist Bill Nye said, “The planet’s on f***ing fire.” While the two men had drastically different motivations behind their fiery statements, both come together in Boston College’s school mission. BC accepts Ignatian spirituality while denying the importance of the climate disaster which affects the most vulnerable in society. Even under heavy scrutiny from student organizations, other colleges, and the Vatican itself, BC doesn’t budge.

In “Laudato Si,” Pope Francis says, “Obstructionist attitudes, even on the part of believers, can range from denial of the problem to indifference, [or] nonchalant resignation.” A more accurate account of the administration could not exist. In the face of pressure from students, alumni, universities, the Vatican itself, and nature as a whole BC would rather tie up its purse strings and hand money to the fossil fuels ruining “our common home” than accept its own values and invest in the future of its community.

Georgetown and Brown, along with a host of other schools both nationally and internationally, called it quits with petrochemicals and decided to divest. Not only does BC ignore fellow campuses, but it refuses to listen to its own. When Climate Justice at Boston College (CJBC) met with Associate Vice President of Student Engagement Tom Mogan, he gave them a flat-out no on divestment. “It was kind of freeing to hear [BC] say what they have always wanted to say, which is, we’re not gonna do this. We are not gonna divest,” said CJBC Vice President Audrey Kang. She added that the BC administration no longer cares to speak about the issue and would rather push off the topic entirely. The administration opts for the “out of sight, out of mind” mindset, which has allowed this environmental catastrophe to go unaddressed by public officials for decades. In 2020, the pope released a statement titled “Journeying Towards Care for Our Common Home” as a follow up to his 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si.” In his most recent announcement, the pope compels Catholics around the world to “promote responsible investments in social and environmental sectors, for example by evaluating progressive disinvestment from the fossil-fuel sector.” In unequivocal terms, the pope lays it all out: Support divestment, and support the protection of our common home. BC ignored this call to action, as well. In its own guide book to Jesuit education, BC proclaims that we as a society must recognize “how [our] lives are connected with the dreams of all those with whom we share the journey of human existence, and therefore with the economic, political, and social realities that support or frustrate their dreams.” Programs like PULSE and 4Boston exist to help underserved communities, but BC doesn’t see the necessity in working towards climate justice. Don’t communities that are disproportionately affected by climate change deserve attention by these same principles? BC’s failed environmental response calls into question what its own mission means and just how far it extends before becoming irrelevant.

Photo by Lexi Santoro

Where do we have to go? Boston College prides itself on its ability to foster community and social consciousness in its students. Sadly, despite what the admissions site may say, Boston College does more to suppress student activism than encourage it. There “needs to be more of a cultural shift towards activism at BC,” says Kang. The administration’s “push-off” tactics squander the community’s willingness to engage with the movements that matter. Beyond what the administration fails to do BC students need to take responsibility. Divestment and causes of the future require active involvement. The only way to meet BC admin’s indifference is with unwavering enthusiasm. If BC wants to feel comfortable in its environmental destruction, then students must badger the university until it is not. As Greta Thunberg proved, citizens must take it upon themselves to affect change. Where institutions fail, people cannot. If BC’s community takes activism to task, then divestment will not only save the environment but it might just remind BC what it stands for in the process.

New Normal: Normal: ”” ““ New

Boston College & United States Tackle COVID-19 Pandemic

Photos by Maddy Mitchell

NEWS / SPRING 2021 / Dylan Burgess

ow does a university like Boston College handle an unprecedented health crisis? Among the many services universities look to provide for their students, health and safety are some of the most important. From campus police and BlueLight Systems to on-campus health centers and health insurance, a wide variety of resources are in place to provide for the general well-being of college campuses. But these alone were not enough to protect against the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 11, 2020, University President William Leahy, S.J. announced BC’s decision to suspend in-person classes—the same day the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic and one day after Mass. Governor Charlie Baker declared a state of

emergency in the Commonwealth. Though the virus had not yet been detected in the campus community, the administration saw the importance of getting the student body home before major lockdowns were put in place. In the months that followed, BC began working towards “Reopening Boston College,” a series of policies formed with guidance from local, state, and federal government employees and centered around ensuring on-campus life could resume safely in the fall. Classroom and dining hall distancing efforts were combined with extensive oncampus testing (conducted both by BC’s own laboratory and Harvard and MIT’s Broad Institute) and contact tracing, laying the groundwork for a smooth and safe transition back to campus.

“Responding to COVID-19 requires all at Boston College to work together to help protect the health of our campus and surrounding community,” explained Joy Moore, thenVice President of Student Affairs. To ensure adherence to campus guidelines, BC laid out the rules for the semester in the Eagles Care Pledge, signed by every student who would live on campus in the fall. Some responsibilities included daily symptom monitoring, mandatory flu vaccinations, and limited travel off-campus travel when possible. As BC reopened in August, things seemed to be working, with low counts of COVID-19 cases for the first few weeks back on campus. The startling news of an outbreak on BC’s swim and dive team, broken by The Boston Globe before BC’s own administration even acknowledged it, revealed that a shakeup was needed if classes were to continue in person. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller both expressed concern over the sudden rise in cases, with Fuller saying that if BC failed to cooperate with the Commonwealth’s contact tracing services and decrease student cases, “an alternative may be reducing the number of in-person students.” BC eventually decided to work with local and state officials to aid in contact tracing and increased the number of weekly tests administered, a practice that has since aided in lowering transmission rates on campus. Sadly, these more rigorous practices have not worked perfectly, and on January 5th, BC Professor Chia-Kuang (Frank) Tsung lost his life to COVID-19—a tragedy which BC’s administration has hardly acknowledged beyond an article in memoriam. Despite a brief rise in cases following the return to campus from Winter Break, COVID-19 has been handled professionally by the BC administration. However, the student body has played an integral role as well. The Undergraduate Government of Boston College spearheaded a COVID-19 awareness campaign to “#KeepTheHeightsHome,” which included raising awareness of symptoms and how to avoid infection along with hosting webinars relating to the Eagles Care Pledge and hosting virtual and socially-distanced events to provide safe entertainment for the student body. BC’s chaotic shutdown and subsequent policy-making mirrored the trajectory of the entire nation during this past year. Despite some preliminary measures, COVID-19 was largely viewed as no cause for concern until early March, but following March 11, a cascade of closures

and quarantines for professional sports leagues and large metropolitan areas gave way to the “new normal” of isolation and containing the spread of the virus. Quarantines quickly became a state-by-state issue, with California and New York issuing strict guidelines to curb transmission while Florida looked to maintain normalcy by relying on individual efforts over stricter government mandates. The lack of a cohesive federal strategy led to cases skyrocketing across the US, making it one of the hardest-hit nations. Indeed, former President Trump did a lot to underplay the damage COVID-19 was causing, cherry-picking statistics and, when asked in an interview with Axios’s Jonathan Swan about how the pandemic could possibly be under control with over 1,000 Americans dying daily, the former President simply remarked, “It is what it is… it’s under control as much as you can control it.”

“BC’s chaotic shutdown and subsequent policy making mirrored the trajectory of the entire nation during this past year.” Despite his own words undermining the severity of the pandemic, President Trump gave the CDC broad freedoms to organize nation-wide vaccine rollouts, but without federal funding, these plans became nothing more than wish lists. President Trump failed to create a solid plan to distribute vaccines, and many states were frustrated by the White House’s inability to communicate if and when vaccines would arrive. To his credit, President Trump’s use of the Defense Production Act to increase the production of tests to detect COVID-19, ventilators, and respirators, along with his decision to stockpile doses of new vaccines against the virus, did help save many lives. Nonetheless,

his decision to not execute a nationwide response to the pandemic may have cost many thousands more. The Trump administration’s partnership with pharmacy chains such as CVS and Walgreens ensured that vaccines would be widely available for many Americans once the Biden administration stepped in. As of March 21, 2021, over 30% of the adult population of the United States received at least one dose, and over 40 million Americans are fully vaccinated. However, neither Trump nor Biden has adequately addressed the mounting financial stress the pandemic has placed on ordinary Americans. The economy officially entered a recession in February 2020, with unemployment skyrocketing and many businesses and smaller colleges closing permanently due to stay-at-home measures. The Trump administration could only muster together one dispersal of stimulus checks in April, with those receiving it earning between $600-$1200. The CARES Act, which included the stimulus checks, also promised financial aid to students affected by the pandemic––something the BC administration refused to offer to its student body alongside its housing rebate. President Biden had originally promised $2000 stipends for individuals in need but lowered his commitment to $1400 upon entering office––a move criticized by many Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and other more vocal, younger senators and representatives. A new stimulus bill was passed on March 10, 2021, though not without criticism from many Republicans who feel the $1.9 trillion-dollar price-tag is too much. One year out from the beginning of the pandemic, Americans have still only received the $600 since it all began. As a result, many local communities rallied around their small businesses. Many individuals discovered new ways to find virtual camaraderie, raising funds online for neighbors and friends while also using their voices to spread awareness about COVID-19 and other issues including political activism and shining a light on systemic racism. With the hope of vaccines alleviating concerns of multiyear lockdowns, it still remains unclear how far-reaching the effects of this pandemic will be. For better or worse, we now find ourselves on the cusp of a “new normal,” with many on-campus left wondering how their college experience will continue to be shaped and changed in the coming months.

Photo by Frankie Mancini

Family Ties OPINIONS / SPRING 2021 / BRIDGET CLARK & JACK CLARK

y freshman year at Boston College was the epitome of community. Living on Newton campus, I thought I would feel a sense of isolation, but I felt the opposite. Stuart, home of the best breakfast potatoes, rarely had an empty seat. The Newton bus had at least 40 kids at all times. It was impossible to not see at least one person you knew on your journey to Main and regrettably rare to not awkwardly fall into someone when the bus would hit the brakes unexpectedly. The shared experience of Newton, and freshmen year in general, made developing relationships pretty easy, even for a super homesick, somewhat reserved freshmen like myself. All you had to do was mumble something like, “I wish the bus app would work,” and immediately five other people would agree and you could say hi to them for the rest of the year. I made some of my best friends freshman year, and a lot of them lived with me on Newton. I wasn’t just a student, I was part of something larger. Convocation, singing the fight song with a packed Alumni on game days, Plexapalooza, Robsham Perspectives lectures, Marathon Monday, even wandering around on weekends hoping someone would open their door to a group of freshmen with zero plans—all of these moments served as a reminder that I was not alone. I was a piece of a much larger puzzle. What I didn’t realize at the time was that something would come and change that puzzle from about 1000 pieces to six. The pandemic has changed the world, and BC has been a reflection of that. Our community has been fractured, our events cancelled, our tailgates postponed. I painted a picture of students joined at the hip for my brother, Jack, and when he arrived as a freshman this year, all he saw was distance and isolation.

t e g d i r B

“I find myself looking forward to the future and that feeling of togetherness and belonging I’ve heard so much about.”

pon arrival at Boston College, I had no idea what to expect. Every perception I had was from my sister in a ‘normal’ year. I applied to her version of BC, and found myself enrolled at a much different one. I spent my first few days of freshman year in quarantine, awaiting my test results in my Newton dorm room, not even close to the “Welcome Week” activities Bridget had told me about. Was my first college class in some packed lecture hall with everyone dressing to impress? No, it was a 9AM Zoom call. Clubs and activities? Zoom. Summer orientation? Zoom. Convocation? Zoom. Zoom has been our main form of connection, but there are only so many breakout rooms one can endure before feeling completely lost and isolated in an entirely new environment. While we both lived on Newton, read the same philosophers in our Perspectives classes, and devoured Stu breakfast potatoes, Bridget and I’s freshmen experiences have been remarkably different. The feeling of isolation has defined my freshmen year. I meet people, but there are only so many things we can do to develop friendships while following COVID protocols and sticking to your “germ group.” On our frequent Res walks, Bridget and I often talk about our time at BC. While Bridget finds herself looking backwards, yearning for that sense of community again, I find myself looking forward to the future and that feeling of togetherness and belonging I’ve heard so much about.

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From BC to the Pros Women’s Hockey is Ever to Excel

SPORTS / SPRING 2021 / Emma Twombly

“B

C has always been my dream school to play hockey at. In fact, I think it’s everyone’s dream school to play at,” explained former Boston College women’s hockey player Delaney Belinskas, BC ‘20.

Alex Carpenter, BC ‘16, echoed her sentiments, explaining that, “BC hockey culture was and still is a tight-knit community all in itself. From living together and taking the same classes, everyone is close both on and off the ice.”

For the past 14 seasons since Katie King-Crowley took over as head coach, the women’s hockey team has been one of Boston College’s most consistently successful teams. They have missed the Hockey East Tournament only once and the NCAA Tournament twice since King-Crowley, or Kinger, as Belinskas calls her, took over.

Throughout the years, the many players that have been through the program shared this experience of a tight community, something Belinskas believes “both coaches taught us from the start.”

The program quickly became one of the most competitive in women’s hockey under KingCrowley. BC won five straight Hockey East regular seasons, won three Hockey East Tournament championships, and made an appearance in the 2016 NCAA Tournament championship game. The success of the team as a whole can be mainly attributed to two things: great chemistry and great players. “You name it, we had each other’s backs through anything and everything… [The coaches] always said this program is closer than any other, even after you graduate, and that is very true,” raved Belinskas when asked about the culture KingCrowley and Assistant Coach Courtney Kennedy created for the team. Katie Burt, BC ‘18, recalls her time playing as “hard work but also finding a way to have fun playing the game that you love.”

Having top players doesn’t hurt either when it comes to winning. Through the years, the Eagles have brought on numerous All-American and Hockey East All-Star players, as well as Olympic gold medalists and even two Patty Kazmaier winners. Back in 2015, Alex Carpenter received the Patty Kazmaier Award, which is the most prestigious in women’s college hockey given to the top female player in the United States at the annual Frozen Four championship weekend. Carpenter says she knew BC was the place for her the moment she stepped foot on campus. Seeing past teams’ success, she wanted to take part and “help the program grow into a place female hockey players looked at and said, ‘I want to go there.’” During her time on the Heights, Carpenter was an All-American, twotime Hockey East First Team All-Star, and most momentously, the first Boston College and first Hockey East player to win the Patty Kazmaier Award. Carpenter was the first-ever player to

Photo by Gavel Media

net for the Eagles, Burt also racked up honors including a Hockey East All-Rookie Team selection and two straight Hockey East Goaltending Championships.

be drafted into the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) during her junior year, going number one in the league’s inaugural 2015 draft. “To be honest, I was actually on vacation at the time and didn’t find out until a while later but it was definitely a special moment,” she said of Draft Day in our correspondence. Despite these numerous personal successes at BC, Carpenter still recalled the 2016 overtime semifinal win against Clarkson as her favorite memory, again attesting to the strength of the team mentality. “We were down 2-0 and battled our way back to win in overtime and make it to the National Championship finals for the first time in program history,” she explained in an email to The Gavel. Katie Burt was the goalie of the same team that beat Clarkson on the road to the NCAA finals. Of her choice to attend BC, she reports, “I fell in love with Cory Schneider and he fueled my love for BC hockey. I wanted to go to a school that I loved, that was a great academic school but also a great athletic school as well.” During her time in

More recently, forward Delaney Belinskas graduated in 2020 from Boston College after having her senior year cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. In her four years here, she skated in all but one game. She decided to play on the Heights largely because of “Kinger and Court,” with whom she had a “great connection from the start.” All three women, Belinskas, Carpenter, and Burt, currently play in some professional capacity. Both Belinskas and Burt left the NWHL for the newlyformed Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) league, while Carpenter is playing overseas in China, serving as captain of the KRS Vanke Rays. All three started as draftees into the NWHL but have moved away from the league in the last few years. The move to the PWHPA is founded in their hopes for “a sustainable league for future generations” according to Burt. She was selected first overall in the 2017 NWHL Draft for the Boston Pride but moved to the New England chapter of the PWHPA in 2019. For Belinskas, the switch from other leagues was necessary “so [her] future daughter will be able to have a goal of playing professional hockey.” In her experience, “this league also listens to the players. But it doesn’t stop there, they take action.” Regarding overseas play, Carpenter had nothing but good things to say about the experience, explaining, “I have been playing in Russia and

Photo by Katherine McCabe

China for the past four years now, and I’ve met some amazing people, seen some cool places, and been able to compete against great hockey players.” Playing professionally has always been a dream of Carpenter’s: “Watching my Dad play and coach, I always wanted to be just like him and to be able to finally do that is something special.” Carpenter’s father, Bobby, is a former NHL player and coached in China’s league alongside Alex. She emphasized in her email how lucky she feels to have been following in his footsteps for the last five years. All three players agreed that the transition from Boston College to professional leagues has been a “culture shock,” as Burt put it. “Coming off my first two professional games… I can say the talent amongst teams is incomparable,” said Belinskas. Carpenter agreed about the skill level, adding that “there was a big difference in speed and skill moving to professional hockey.” Despite these differences, Boston College prepared them well for the big leagues. At BC “I played with and against the best players in the world during my time,” said Burt. Belinskas furthered this sentiment saying, “Kinger and Court never settle…The athletic staff at BC wants their players to succeed so they make it happen every way they can.” The success these women experienced on the Heights will certainly aid them in the advancement of their professional careers. While the team has been quite successful in its past 14 seasons, it isn’t immune to the challenges of inequality in women’s sports. The all-female coaching staff at BC continues to be one of few among collegiate teams across the nation. Burt

noted that during her time at BC, the women’s hockey team was treated differently than the men’s team, though she refrained from delving into specific details. However, she recalls one step in the right direction: when the women’s locker room was renovated alongside the men’s “all thanks to Jerry York, who has cheered and supported the women’s team forever.” Regarding the decision to play professionally, Belinskas explains, “It was hard for me to strive for professional hockey not knowing if there would be a stable league.” Similarly, Burt dreamt of playing for the NHL or in the Olympics but felt the pressures of her career’s potential instability because there wasn’t a women’s league when she was growing up.

“Every girl should be given the same opportunities as a boy in sports.” - Delaney Belinkas Through her career both at Boston College and in professional leagues, Belinskas put it best when she said, “Every girl should be given the same opportunities as a boy in sports.” She— alongside Katie Burt, Alex Carpenter, and all women’s hockey players at BC and in the nation—represents a greater fight for women’s equality in sports, alongside the battle for championship trophies.

Journey

America Authentic Eagles: Izzy Wibowo

merica was the land where some of my family settled for an opportunity, where my dad received an education, the first in his family to go to college. America seemed like a journey of endless possibilities for countless people. This was the America I grew up with, 9,000 miles away. I was born in Australia, ethnically Chinese Indonesian, but lived in Singapore my entire life. My identity has always been a huge question mark, a mismatch of different cultures and customs. In a way, I thought America would be the same: a “melting pot,” the way I was. Singapore’s population has three main ethnicities: Chinese, Indian, and Malaysian. Chinese Singaporeans are the majority, and I am considered one of them. Chinese privilege is a recent conversation that gained traction from the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. Anti-Black/brown racism is rampant in Asia, in turn privileging Chinese Singaporeans over their brown peers. For example, Blackface and brownface are still a reality. Mandarin is a requirement for most jobs, even if it’s not a necessary skill. More systematically, Malay Singaporeans constitute 55% of inmates in prison. Chinese privilege worked to my advantage in job interviews, in the shopping aisles. I was seen as respectable and approachable. I saw people who looked like me on billboards, in commercials,

on boards of trustees, in political leadership, as CEOs. Sounds familiar? White people in America should know. I blissfully went through life with the very same privilege-tinted glasses white people wear in America. I’ve experienced exactly how privilege works and how it’s unknown to those who have it. It’s no secret Boston College is a very predominantly white school. I was aware of it, but in no way did I fully understand what that meant. Since being here, I’ve never been so hyperaware of my Asianness. I am constantly toeing the line between being the only Asian in a white group or being too “white” in an Asian group. My mismatch of identities had no fit in a country so obsessed with how to fit in. Obviously, I saw how white privilege manifested at Boston College. Microaggressions like “your English is so good” and “you’re from China” came from white people whose privilege blinded them from the consequences of those words. At first, I shrugged it off, even giggled at some, though uncomfortably so. My previous privilege made me unaware of what minorities, and my fellow Asian American peers, go through their entire lives. I distinctly remember my parents saying, “Don’t make a fuss.” So like many others, I quickly turned to silence instead—until I

realized microaggressions, no matter how small they are, stem from the larger, sinister American system that for centuries has oppressed people of color. The gravity of this reality didn’t hit me until what seemed like harmless microaggressions turned into something else. Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Delania Ashley Yuan, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng. These names and countless others have struck and beaten down the hearts of every Asian American during a time of turbulent anti-Asian violence. The community is hurting and is reminded of its place in this country. I, too, am learning of my place in America. This system doesn’t work for me, doesn’t appreciate people like me, and clearly doesn’t hesitate to hurt my community. Even at Boston College, as the Asian American student body grieves, white students remain unwaveringly calm. I wonder how many white students have checked up on their Asian peers—if they are friends with any at all. Unfortunately, it took me becoming a minority to be aware of my own privileges as a majority ethnicity back home. There, I do not carry a lifetime of the burdens of racial oppression, yet my being in America for just two years is enough to understand that reality. For white people and myself to understand privilege, we must listen to the oppressed, learn about the history of oppression, and actively expand our circles. Remaining in white circles will only perpetuate the privilege bubble. Tip: It’s not up to students of colour to enthusiastically approach white students. After the Atlanta mass shootings, I called my parents. I expressed to them my identity crisis at Boston College. My dad told me, “There is no use in fitting in. You’re not white so don’t try to be. You’re from an international background, so don’t try to hide that when being called ‘whitewashed.’ You’re your own person, so why try to be something else?” It hit me that my identity crisis came from the need to be categorized by American standards that are constructed by the white perspective. The “melting pot” is not a celebration of different people; it is the deliberate erasure of individuality.

Photos Courtesty of Izzy Wibowo

This journey in America is unchartered territory for me. I am still trying to make sense of my identity in this society, whilst unlearning and dismantling the systems of oppression back home. My childhood perception of America has shattered. At the same time, I’ve discovered the strength of the Asian American community and all other minority communities in America. It is this strength that fuels my hope for a better America.

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